Mike writes:
“Otzi was discovered on a glacier in the Austrian-Italian alps by a couple of hikers – his body was well-preserved along with many of his possessions. On his skin there were something like 50 tattoos, I got 10 of the lines on my back in the same place he had his. — I figure you can spiff up the facts when you actually blog this.
Anyway, Otzi was human, 100% human, 100% genetically identical to modern humans today, genetically identical to us, to me. Despite being the same species, we live in a completely different way than he does. My dad worked in an office for 35 years, all my friends work in offices, I was expected to work in an office… so I got this tattoo to remind me that regardless of what our current, blinkofaneye society expects from me, I’m still a human and whatever choice I make is ok. If I want to cross the alps on foot, that doesn’t make me any less legitimate than my office-dwelling friends. I got the tattoo to link me to an ancestral human, to pre-industrial revolution (though unfortunately post-agricultural revolution) people. We can never go back, of course, but as Thoreau wrote, ‘There are as many ways to live as radii can be drawn from the center of a circle.’”
Carl: For more on Otzi, the 5300-year old man exposed by our warming climate, see Wikipedia and this tattoo site. This article from 1994 in the New York Times notes that the marks on Otzi’s back may have actually been acupuncture rather than some kind of display. But for Mike, it’s all tattoo. (Same for Brad Pitt.)
April 6th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
whoever has this tat… ur friggin sexy!
wat a nice tattoo!!!!!
October 13th, 2008 at 3:56 am
[...] Tattoos, etc. there are as many ways to live as there can be drawn radii from one centre: 1.2.3.4. 5.6. [What Would Darwin [...]
August 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
your description sums up my entire philosophy
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 am
I like this. I hear what you are saying about Otzi, too. I think I may follow in your footsteps and also get this tattoo. I’m an evolutionary psychologist who dreams that humanity will wake up someday and say, “regardless of what our current, blinkofaneye society expects from me, I’m still a human and whatever choice I make is ok.” …each in their own words, of course. You are awakened to a humbling and impassioning reality, friend.
April 16th, 2010 at 2:59 am
Yeah cool tattoo. I’ve been planning on getting the full set for awhile now. I agree compleatly with your reasoning for it also. Anyway, I hate to be the barer of bad news but its on the wrong side.
July 29th, 2010 at 8:12 am
One of the coolest, and my favourites on here. I really like the meaning behind it. Simple yet effective
August 17th, 2010 at 1:31 am
not acupuncture! This was not “invented” until about 400 years ago… not 5300!
November 10th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Hi Everyone – This is Mike, the guy with the tattoo.
Justin – You’re right – in this photo the tat is on the wrong side, but the photo itself is actually flipped. I must have taken this on my macbook’s camera, which displays mirror images for whatever reason.
SuperDan – Just because acupuncture wasn’t invented until about 400 years ago doesn’t mean people weren’t using acupuncture and -pressure points to relieve pain without having codified its use.
Ally – Thanks, ur sexy too.
July 24th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Mike – Even with your so called camera tricks our tattoo is still on the wrong side. Otzi had the marks on his left side and it’s clear that your tattoo is on the right side of your back. Sorry but even your special “macbook camera” does not physically move ink molecules.